Its a Hero

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Five Friday Favorites

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Things have been so busy around here, but I wanted to share a glimpse of 5 things I’m absolutely loving as of late.

1. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite fiction writers. When she first released Big Little Lies (which, it should be noted, is much better than the HBO adaptation) I was hooked on her suspenseful style of writing. This more recent novel is filled with the usual suspense and drama with a parental twist. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you’re already a fan of her work.

 

2. If I’m Being Honest with Katie Crenshaw

This podcast has been a refreshing take on taboo subjects. Each episode is an interview-style talk with someone with a story to tell, whether it be about a dad in prison for crimes against a minor, or being a psychic medium. Basically, super interesting subjects that are rarely discussed. Basically, I’m addicted.

 

3. Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System

Y’all, despite my best efforts, I’ve never been one to brew coffee at home. I’ve had a Keurig, I’ve had a Starbucks Verismo and a traditional coffee maker with a pot. But none of those really did it for me. I was drinking too much coffee to justify the pods of the Keurig and Verismo, but not enough back-to-back coffee to justify the pot (and I despise reheated coffee!).

Last Fall I snagged one of these Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve Makers and I fell in love with brewing my coffee at home! It uses just regular ground coffee with a reusable filter. It has an option for different sizes, bold brewing, and iced coffee brewing! Complete with a milk frother. Best invention ever!

 

4. Russian Doll on Netflix

I binge-watched the first season in 24-hours. And I want more! Natasha Lyonne is incredible in everything, but she really knocks this role out of the park.

Stuck in a ‘groundhog-day’ type scenario, she continues to relive (and die) repeatedly on her 35th birthday. She goes on a mission to figure out why and how to stop it while encountering another person going through the same thing.

It’s not as twisted as it sounds, but it’s certainly super interesting. I am already very excited about season 2.

 

5. Weight Watchers

For those of you who have been here a while, you might remember I did WW after Remy was born and had a decent amount of success. Truthfully, the only thing that thwarted my success was getting pregnant again, this time with Mila. So now that I’m 8 months postpartum, I’m finally ready to really step up my game. My body is regulating itself hormonally, Meebs is sleeping a decent amount, and our lives are adjusting as well as is possible.

Last week was my first week of sticking to Weight Watchers and I lost 5.8 pounds! That’s the biggest loss I’ve ever had on the program! Many credits are due to the program, but I also worked my butt off at the gym earning ‘fitness points’ and tracked my ‘food points’ religiously.

I love this program so much because — 1. It doesn’t require weighing in every day, just once a week! and 2. I’m able to still enjoy life and be social! During the last week, I had a glass of wine at night a couple of times, which made it feel like ‘normal’ versus a ‘diet.’

 

Okay, technically this is number 6 and she’s all mine, but I’m definitely loving this kid a lot lately.

Mila has been so fun lately and I just can’t stop staring at her in amazement. She’s nearly crawling, always smiling, and loves to laugh at her brother. She’s such a wonderful addition to our family and I couldn’t be happier to be her Mama. ♥ ♥

What

are you

loving lately!?

What’s In My Hospital Bag

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Nothing. No seriously. Up until a few days ago, I had zero packed. Not for me, not for the new baby, not for my other two kids (who will, undoubtedly, need a change of clothes and diapers when a friend watches them).

But I finally stopped slacking. I packed my bag with everything but the last minute items. I’ve learned a LOT from two previous hospital deliveries — on what’s totally unnecessary and the things that I truly wish I had the first time around. So here’s what I’m packing in my hospital bag for baby number 3 — and what I wish I would have had for my first labor and delivery!

Peppermint Essential Oil.

I do not handle nausea well. I know this will be my downfall if I can’t keep it under control. So the first thing I put in my hospital bag is doterra peppermint essential oils.

I put a few drops in my hand when I’m feeling nauseated and sniff the inside of my hands. It truly was a lifesaver last time.

Nursing Bras.

Essential, but honestly one of my least favorite purchases. I’m still looking for that ‘perfect’ nursing bra, but I found a few with decent reviews to bring with me in the meantime.

In the hospital, it’s all about comfort. I expect my milk to come in quickly, just like last time. And underwires are not my friend — at least not until the gals start to regulate themselves, milk-wise. So something comfortable is key!

Comfortable pajamas.

All of my pajamas from the last two kids are destroyed, so this time I purchased a few different sets of pajamas and loungewear from Cuddl Duds. I’d heard that they’re incredibly comfortable, so I ordered a few online and tried them on — big mistake because I don’t want to wait until labor and delivery to wear them!

I also got a nice long cardigan to cover up with. Those hospital rooms can be a tad bit chilly and it’s nice to be able to take off layers as needed.

Ollie World Swaddle.

I wish I had known about these Ollie World Swaddles for the first baby, but having them for number 2 was a LIFESAVER. If you’ve ever had an infant, you know that the startle reflex is real — and something that all babies struggle with. And on one wants a baby to struggle to sleep, am I right?!

The stretchy fabric is perfect for use for babies of all sizes — and it’s super soft! Bonus? It opens easily at the bottom for easy diaper changes!

Hospital Outfits for Baby. 

I don’t allow many visitors at home those first couple of weeks, but I do allow for visitors at the hospital. So a couple of cute hospital outfits for the baby are a necessity. A couple is the bare minimum because it’s basically a guarantee that the baby will blow out of at least one outfit in the hospital.

I got several comfy outfits for this baby girl to lounge around in while we spend our 24-48 hours in the Mommy-Baby ward!

Portable Noise Machine.

Everyone in my family uses a noise machine to help us sleep, and what better way to emulate the noises in the womb for a newborn!? So I’ll be bringing along a portable, battery-powered, white noise machine for the hospital stay, that way I can ensure a semi-smooth transition to naps and nighttime sleep!

I grabbed this one from Target — it’s small enough that I can keep it in a diaper bag and even keep it next to her in the car.

Nursing Pillow.

If you plan on breastfeeding, set yourself up for as much immediate success as possible by bringing a nursing pillow with you to the hospital. Some of my best experiences, postpartum, have been with the help of the lactation consultants in the hospital.

The Milk Boss nursing pillow from Itzy Ritzy is amazing! It’s different from traditional nursing pillows because you don’t have to worry about it falling off of your lap — you loop your arm right through it! How cool is that!?

Other necessities.

Phone charger. Camera. Toiletries (Toothbrush, makeup, hair products, etc). Contacts/solution. Identification/insurance information.

As important as all of this is, here’s what is NOT important to bring in your hospital bag: 

Lots of real underwear. You won’t wear it — just stick to the mesh stuff they give you. Just bring one pair to go home in.

Pads. They will have THE best pads in the hospital. In fact? Take some with you.

Diapers/wipes. Again, they will be provided for you.

A water bottle. One of my favorite ‘things’ to bring home from the hospital, aside from my baby of course, is the mega water bottle — oh and the hospital ice! So yes, leave your straw cups and water bottles at home. Take full advantage of the giant cups they give you instead!

Tell me:

 

What’s on your must-bring list for the hospital?

 

Disclosure: I received the Ollie World Swaddle and the Milk Boss infant feeding pillow in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts herein are solely my own.

Friday Favorites

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I’ve been struggling to keep my head above water this week. Truly, nothing extraordinary has happened; I’m just feeling the weight of the end of pregnancy. Between pregnancy insomnia, chasing the kids, and pregnancy exhaustion (thanks to that insomnia and lots of jabs to the ribs), I’ve been a terrible homemaker this week.

As we sit here,  there are three large loads of laundry piled up on the living room furniture — in plain sight so that I will fold them and put them away — that have been sitting there for a couple of days; dishes are piled up in the sink; and our floors are in desperate need of the vacuum.

Despite all of the craziness, here’s my current favorites from this week!

Favorite on Netflix: We may or may not have binge-watched the new crime docu-series Evil Genius this week. Although it was no Making a Murderer, it was still really good. And super freaky, considering it happened not far from where I grew up — but I had no idea that this even happened until this show! Was I living under a rock!? No, I was just in college.

Favorite read: This article titled What if All I Want is A Mediocre life? It really struck a chord with me. Especially the part about being a mom. In the age of the ‘pinterest mom’ I strive to be just mediocre. Not kidding.

You know why? Because a while ago I realized I wasn’t happy when I was being a ‘pinterest mom’ — and my family noticed — and they weren’t either!

Favorite listen: As per my norm (I’m a creature of habit, y’all), my favorite listen this week was a This American Life episode! Check it out here.

Favorite ride: For the last week I’ve been driving around this incredible Mazda CX-9! We recently turned in our lease of a small SUV and I was really curious about trying this Mazda. I have to say — this car was a game changer, y’all! First of all, it has optional third row seating. Also? All the bells and whistles — between the huge navigation system, to in-dash speedometer with traffic sign recognition, Bose sound system, and the lane-keep assist — were awesome on a little mini-road trip we took!

The kids loved it as much as I did!

Favorite sip: This week was brought to you by… coffee. Copious amounts of coffee! But seriously. I know I generally drink a LOT of coffee; but this week I literally could not have functioned without it. I was a zombie. Not sleeping at night; not able to nap during the day; and did I mention that we transitioned the kids to bunk beds last weekend?? Yeah, that’s been buckets of fun.

So it should come as no surprise that my favorite drink of this week was the Triple Threat Latte from Nervous Dog.

Favorite eat: As I mentioned before, I’ve kinda been a trainwreck on the homefront this week. If it weren’t for my husband being off from work Monday and Tuesday, I swear my children would have eaten spaghetti o’s everyday for lunch and dinner.

But, alas, he was home to save us! And instead, we ate a delicious dinner Bibimbap — which is basically a Korean dish of rice, veggies, and beef.

Favorite link: Just another shameless plug — but my latest blog post for Cleveland Plus went live a couple of weeks ago! Check it out here.

Favorite place: I feel like I don’t say this enough, but I truly love working at the Riverfront YMCA. My fellow coworkers and the members are like an extended family for us. And this week, Ari celebrated his last day of preschool at the YMCA. He’ll be heading off to kindergarten this Fall!

So we celebrated with friends this week and said goodbyeeeee to preschool! It was such a bittersweet moment for all of us!

One of my favorite places will always be the YMCA. It’s a good thing we’re still going to be there everyday 😉

 

What are some of your favorites

from this week !?

 

Northeast Ohio Holiday Gift Guide //

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Hi. My name is Rachel and I LOVE Ohio. Like, I really, truly, have a passion for my home state. We produce amazing people, products, and industry. I always try to buy as local as possible, but it’s especially important for me at this time of year. There are just so many local options from amazing creators right here in Northeast Ohio.

Not sure where to start knocking off your holiday gifts? I’ve rounded up my favorite local ideas below!

 

Pope’s Kitchen Bloody Mary Mix. 

I am a recent convert to the Bloody Mary. The spicy aroma has always been something that has reminded me of my grandmother. But Pope’s Kitchen puts a fresh, local, and extra spicy spin on the traditional bloody mary. When I was pregnant with Remy I used to just drink the mix straight up (I had a craving for spicy!).

Find it in any local Market District or order online here ($12/32 oz.).

Coffee from Akron Coffee Roasters.

Want fresh, locally-roasted coffee? Look no further than S. High Street in Akron! Their love for their coffee and the roasting process is evident in each pour over they serve.

Their coffees are available online for purchase to ship directly to your loved ones, or you can go right into their store on South High Street (and then head over to The Nightlight to catch a flick!). (from $12/10 oz.)

Middlebury Butter from Akron Honey Company. 

Akron Honey is a family operated, artisan honey company, and they have recently opened up a brick and mortar store at the Northside Marketplace in Downtown Akron. I’ve personally tasted all of their honey, but the Middlebury Butter remains my favorite. I put it on everything — bread, apples, you name it!

It can currently be found at a variety of pop up markets (like the Cleveland Flea, Crafty Mart, etc) and their store in Northside Marketplace.

The Vitamix Ascent Series A3500. 

Vitamix is the leader in culinary blenders and food processors — and they are also a local Ohio company, with their headquarters located in Olmsted Falls!

Their products are produced, manufactured, and distributed here locally — and for those of us in Northeast Ohio, that means we’re lucky enough to get the first peak at new products! This past year I received the A3500 and was able to get rid of my old Vitamix. Let me tell you, this new version is incredible and so easy to use!

You can pick one up in their local store in Solon or online here (A3500 $549.99).

A Family Membership to the Akron Zoo.

With the slogan “You’ve never been this close,” the folks at the Akron Zoo truly mean it! The zoo itself is the perfect size to take children of all ages for a few hours or an all day excursion. The recently renovated exhibits are absolutely stunning! And members are able to get discount admission on events ranging from Brew at the Zoo to Wild Lights!

Order a family membership online here or pick one up on-location in Akron (Family Membership, $80/year).

Tickets for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

The CVSR, operated wholly by volunteers, leaves either the Rockside Station in Independence or the Northside Station in Akron. You can hop on with a round-trip ticket or bike one way and take it one way back! Besides just regular train rides, the CVSR offers a variety of special events, such as The Polar Express and Ales On Rails!

Not sure when your recipient would like to go? The CVSR offers gift certificates in denominations ranging from $15 – $150 and can be purchased by calling 800-468-4070 x 1.

Shirts from The Social Dept.

We have a lot of options when it comes to local t-shirts here in Northeast Ohio. My favorites, by far, come from the Social Department. Located in my town of Cuyahoga Falls, they offer an eclectic variety of Midwest apparel.

Their sizes range from kids to adults, so no one will be left out! My personal faves are this Cleveland Indians shirt (which I bought for my husband last year) and this Go Local Sports Team shirt (which I should totally have because, sports!).

You can visit them in store at their Front Street location in Cuyahoga Falls, Tuesday through Sunday, or you can order online here  with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve if you order by December 18th (Prices range from $22+ but gift certificates available in $10+).

Growler of the Month Club at HiHo Brewing Co. 

Located right next door to The Social Department, HiHo Brewing Company is a welcomed addition to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls this last year. And their beers are incredible, too! Former teachers turned craft brewers, Ali and Jon, have turned this spot into one of Northeast Ohio’s most popular breweries!

They offer a range of beer, from blond ales to stouts, and tapas style food options. Don’t know what you want? Try a flight!

Open Wednesday through Sunday, you can purchase the gift of their Growler A Month Club or just a plain old gift card! (Growler of the month: $180 – includes growler and punch card for 12 fills; gift cards available in all denominations).

The Gift of Play from Café O’Play in Stow.

Café O’Play, located in Stow right off of Route 8, is a safe and fun indoor play place for kids ages crawlers through tweens! They offer climbing activities for young and old, as well as a special toddler-only zone for a safe-space for those who are just past the crawling stage, 7-days a week.

In addition to being a safe place to play, owners John and Carolyn make sure that parents feel like they have a partner in this parenting journey. Sure, it’s not all fun and games, but they make it easy for the kids to have fun while the adults can (kind of) sit back and relax a bit on the café side!

You can purchase gift cards in person or online here (gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, and $100).

There are so many more options that I could go into — soap from Saint Augustine and Suds; tickets to Playhouse Square; hot sauce from Not Yo’ Daddy’s; just to name a few!

Not from Northeast Ohio and still not sure what all of the fuss is about?!? Well how about this for a reason — Cleveland was recently ranked #14 in the 21 places you need to visit by none other than National Geographic! So get your butt to Northeast Ohio and see exactly why I’m freaking out about where I live all of the time!

 

What I’m Loving Wednesday //

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It’s still Spring break around here and we’re keeping busy with activities and naps galore! But I feel like I’ve had too many awesome experiences to ignore as of late!

So I’m sharing what’s good — here’s what I’m loving lately:

  • The brand new podcast S-Town, from the people who bring you Serial and This American Life. I’m only one episode in and I’m already hooked. Totally hooked!

  • The new mid-year Day Designer came out last week and I’m beyond in love with the designs. I’ve tried every planner out there — you name it, I’ve tried it. But the Day Designer is, by far, my favorite.

  • I’m in love with all of the doormat tutorials I’ve seen lately. I think I’ve found my next craft project! Let’s just add it to the list, ya’ll.

  • I’m feeling particularly inspired by OohBother’s 72-Hour Cleanse. Perhaps even so inspired that I’ll actually do it (I’m thinking this weekend….). Thoughts??

  • The @InTheCLE twitter feed! I’m going to be the featured tweeter starting this Sunday! It’s my third time tweeting for In The CLE and I’m super excited — you should totally follow along.

That’s pretty much the extent of my excitement for now! What are you loving this Wednesday!? 

 

what to get a toddler for the holidays //

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One thing I’ve learned about babies and toddlers is that you can totally go overboard with gifts. And well, everything. They get very over stimulated very quickly. At birthday parties, we’ve learned not to open every gift. In fact, we only open about 3. The rest? We put in storage to be opened later [and if I’m being completely honest, we put them into hiding so we can “regift” them — to him! — for Christmas just a few months later!].

The times he seems most uninterested in gifts is when he is overwhelmed. So this year, out of necessity and sanity, we are only giving him a select number of gifts for Christmas.

itsahero_toddlerboyxmas

  1. Matchbox Cars. All of the fancy toys in the world don’t compare to silly Matchbox Cars. I’ve learned that boys just love driving cars all over the place. So getting a giant box of cars is going to make his freaking day.
  2. Fake Power Tools. He was obsessed with this Home Depot drill his friend K had, so he ended up picking out a Home Depot Leaf Blower with his Toys R Us birthday gift card. 🙂 It’s so funny cause he thinks it actually works to blow things. [hint: it doesn’t]
  3. Action Figures. Especially the Marvel Titan series. Bonus? If I get roped into playing, it’s like Barbies, but with boys. Inexpensive. Sturdy. Fun.
  4. Ants in the Pants. I was surprised to learn that he’s playing games like this at the sitters house. And actually focusing; like sitting down and actually listening/following directions! So I picked up this game [which, admittedly, was my favorite preschool game as a kid] on Black Friday!
  5. Candy canes. Because, candy. And it’s a crowd-pleaser.
  6. Green Toys Dump Truck. Not only is it eco-friendly, but this dude suddenly became obsessed with dump trucks. When we go to friends houses, he immediately passes up the fancy toys and goes straight to the big trucks.
  7. Amazon Fire Tablet. Before you get all judgy about being ‘that mom’ that gives her kid a tablet, let me clarify: Ari has been using Chad’s old iPad for like a year now. Chad upgraded a while back and then pretty much it became Ari’s iPad. It had movies and preschool games on it. Aaaand it hasn’t been holding a charge for a few months so we haven’t used it in a long time. So the other day Amazon had the Kindle Fire on sale for $30 (!!!!!!) so guess who is getting a tablet [WITH a very childproof case]? Yep. Moosh. Really, they are great to have on hand for learning games and movies for road trips.

Looking at this list now, it looks like a lot. But I swear it’s easy to go overboard. And really + truly, we haven’t spent much at all on gifts. We’ve acquired them when we find them on sale and let them pile up over the months before Christmas!

What are your go-to toddler boy gifts!?